Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Dallas, will serve as a co-chair with Sen. Patty Murray, a Democrat from Washington who was chosen by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. A protege of former Texas Sen. Phil Gramm, whom he served as state director and campaign manager, Hensarling has made federal spending cuts a top policy priority since first winning election to Congress in 2002.

“Times are tough, and Texas families have had to make many sacrifices over the last few years. While they didn’t cause this debt crisis, they’ve learned how to make do by tightening their belts and living within their means,” said Hensarling, 53, who worked on his father’s East Texas poultry farm as a teenager. “It’s time Washington did the same, and I’m honored that Speaker Boehner has entrusted me to work with our colleagues to tackle these challenges and help solve our spending-driven debt crisis.”

The so-called super committee is charged with finding $1.2 trillion in budget savings over the next decade. If a majority of the panel can’t agree on a plan by Nov. 23, severe across-the-board federal spending cuts would be triggered automatically. The cuts would affect programs close to both parties including Medicaid, farm subsidies and the defense budgets.

Boehner, who tabbed Hensarling to serve as the committee’s top Republican, also chose Michigan Reps. Dave Camp and Fred Upton.

“Our debt and deficits are a threat to our economy, and America cannot achieve long-term job growth until we take action to address this crisis,” Boehner said in a statement. “In the weeks ahead, a serious, bipartisan committee of lawmakers will begin the hard but necessary work of making the tough choices needed to rein in mandatory and entitlement spending, which are the drivers of our debt.”

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., named Republican Sens. Jon Kyl of Arizona, Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania and Rob Portman of Ohio to the panel and Reid nominated Sens. John Kerry, D-Mass., and Max Baucus, D-Mont. and Murray. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi has until Aug. 16 to choose her three selections.

Hensarling worked three times for Gramm: as his top Texas staffer, as his 1990 re-election campaign manager and as executive director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee under Gramm when the GOP regained control of the Senate in 1994. Gramm, R-College Station, is co-author of the famous Gramm-Rudman-Hollings deficit-reduction plan.